It is hard to believe it was seven years ago today that the US was attacked. I do not think I will ever forget that day. I was working downtown back then – in an office building a block away from the Sears Tower. We did not have any TVs in our office and the only way I found out about what was going on was after chatting with one of my high school friends – she called me and told me what happened in New York City. I had no idea what was going on…I just could not picture two planes flying into the World Trade Center towers…and now I cannot get that image out of my head.
Once I got off the phone with my friend, I walked over to the secretary’s desk and she was on the phone with her sister who was trying to convince her to go home because there were reports (rumors) that there was another plane headed for the Sears Tower. We just had no idea what to do. I then got a call from Amy’s dad who told me I should go home, meanwhile, the big boss did not seem at all concerned but since enough of the staff were freaked out – we had the option to leave – which I did. I tried going to CNN.com, nbc.com, etc but nothing was loading because I am sure everyone else in the world was trying the same thing.
I remember walking out of the my building, past the Sears Tower where people were mass exiting quickly with computer equipment in hand (servers, etc) and then it was a big race to the train.
Everyone was literally running down the streets to get out of the downtown area. The trains were jammed. I took the Metra at the time which has a downstairs and upstairs seating area and I remember standing up in the upstairs aisle – which I had never seen before.
Everyone was trying to use their cell phones but the only people who were not getting a “all circuits full” message were the NexTEL users who had the push to talk. No one had smart phones or anything that could give you news while on the train so when someone would get through to someone who had information – they would share it with everyone else on the train.
The whole time – I felt like I was in a daze…I just could not really comprehend what was going on. I remember getting home and then watching TV non-stop for the next month. I remember thinking – I do not know how they would ever clear up all the debris at ground zero…and I could not believe that not more stuff was there (desks, chairs, etc). I remember hearing the thumps of the people that jumped too when they landed on the pavement…I will never forget the moment I realized that that noise actually was. It was just surreal.
Seven years have passed and how time has flown. I often think about the kids who were not born yet and lost a parent during the attacks…and how they are most likely in 2nd grade now and that blows my mind. Anyway – that is my recollection.
